Mini Vaca

It was interesting to me to find recently that water sometimes represents transition in our dreams. As I sit here and look out at the water, the blue turquoise transitioning to dark blue, almost black in some places, I can see how that can be true. For me it’s also a transition from busy, hustle of regular life to a few days of respite. Where nothing is pre-determined and my schedule is driven by the rhythm of my body. I eat when I am hungry and sleep when I am tired. This is a pace entirely within my sphere of influence.

However, this is not where I live more than a couple of weeks a year. How do I carry this back to my home? How do I infuse this into my everyday life? While it’s not realistic, not for me anyway, to expect everyday will run like vacation, I can set the expectation to be more mindful, more intentional in my everyday life. I can pay attention and acknowledge when I am hungry or sleepy, not jut because it’s time to, but it’s how I feel at that moment. I need to be mindful and fully present.

One way to inspire the vacation mood is to schedule a mini vacation daily; a brief period of time when I spend time focusing on the relaxation. Neuroscientists have discovered, for instance, how sensory memories are shared across the brain, with different brain regions remembering the sights, smells, tastes and sounds of a particular experience. Think of ways you may be able to retrieve those positive emotions. While on vacation, I made an audio recording of the waves rolling up on the beach and I can play that whenever I need a one minute escape. Sounds, sights, smell can bring us into that feeling that we are longing for.

If you need a little help getting started imagining your vacation, https://www.quietamerican.org/vacation.html# gives one minute audio recordings from people all over the world. Or make your own recording next time you are any where that creates in you that feeling of peace and tranquility. Creating your own mini vaca requires awareness, imagination, and regular practice.